Metallic floor covering



- S. C. CARY METALLIC FLOOR COVERING O fi gina l Filed Nov. 17, 1921 [pr e915 SPENCER Quay.

Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER C. CARY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 CARY MANUFACTURING CO., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MgETALLIC FLOOR COVERING.

Application filed November 17, 1921, Serial No. 515,877. Renewed April 20, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SPENCER C. GARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Metallic Floor Covering, of which the following is a specification;

This invention is a floor covering composed of metal parts and adapted for use at vestibules, doorways and halls of buildings, houses, etc.

The metallic structure of this invention, embodies means for protecting the marginal row of units at an edge (one or more) of the metal covering, said protecting means being in the form of a doubled member which houses, and is interlocked with, certain of the bars or links that extend within said units at the margin of said floor covering.

Experience shows that the marginal row of units of a metal floor covering are exposed to very considerable wear for the reason that the pressure of the traflic has a tendency to break and crush down the metal. It is desirable to stiifen the margin of the fabric in order to increase the durability and wearing qualities of said metal fabric or covering, and in this invention, the object is attained by a simple, economical and satisfactory organization of the bars or links with respect to a continuous n'iarginal wear take-up strip, the latter constituting an elongated channeled member, or it'may be termed, a member folded upon itself.

The links or bars within the marginal row of units are extended at one end be yond said units, said extended end portions of the links being provided with notches in the top and bottom edges thereof. The continuous wear take-up strip is folded upon itself so as to be substantially U-shaped in cross section, said strip being provided at the edges thereof with flanges. The strip is positioned to encase the protruding end portions of the bars or links, and thereafter the strip is subjected to pressure, the effect of which is to force the folded strip into contact with the protruding end portions of the links, and to lock said strip and links firmly together by forcing the lips of the strip into the notches of the l nks. The strip thus aifords means for taklng up the wear at the margin of the covering, and by encasing the end portions of the links within the folded strip, said links act as stays in preventing the folded strip from crushing under the weight imposed thereon.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of a metal floor covering or fabric embodying my invention, showing particularly the marginal portion thereof.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation illustrating the mode of assembling the wear take-up strip or the elongated channeled member to the notched ends of the links prior to interlocking the strip and the links, and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 with the parts assembled and locked.

The metal fabric is composed of units A, links B B and a wear take-up strip C at one or more margins of the fabric, said strips C constituting an elongated channeled member. The, units are positioned in rows, each row being composed of a desired number of units, and the units of each row being connected in rigid relation. by the use of cross rods D which pass through said units and the links B or B, see Figure 1. As shown, each unit A is composed of complem-ental parts a with inturned lugs a, and the linksB or B medial?! said lugs. Said units and links of each row are locked together by the cross rods D which pass through the lugs a and the units as well as through the links B or B, the end portions of the rods being bent against the end units of the row, as at (Z, for fastening the several parts in abut ting relation, and thus attain a firm solid connection between the units and links.

The links B in the row of units at the margin of the fabric extend across the units A, between the lugs a thereof, the ends of the links B being extended beyond the units in said end row. At one end, the links B of the marginal row of units are extended to the units of the next row, so as to be positioned between the inturned lugs a of the next row of units and to fit on one rod D in the units of the second row. The links B extend between the units of the second and third rows, and fit on the rods D so are positioned interthat the units of the second row, and of the succeeding rows of units, are foldable by turning on the rods D, whereby the rows of units and links are so attached that the rows of units will lie flat upon the floor surface and conform thereto, while at the same time the fabric or covering as a whole may be folded or rolled for compactness in transportation and storage.

The links B associated with the marginal row of units are specially constructed for locking engagement with the wear take-up strip G. As shown in the drawings, the links B protrude from the units so as to extend well beyond the boundary line of the fabric, and said extended end portions, indicated at Z), are fashioned or shaped (see Figures 2 and 3) to conform to the internal contour of the U-shaped wear strip C, and, furthermore, said extended end portions are provided with notches 9, one notchin the top edge and the other notch in the bottom edge, said notches being provided in the link in quite close relation to the surface of the unit.

The wear take-up strip G is composed of a single continuous piece of metal bent or doubled upon itself to a substantially U- shaped piece in cross section, it being desirable to construct said elongated channeled strip or member for locking engagement with the notched extended end portions 7) of the links, thus simplifying the construction by the omission of parts. To this end, the folded or doubled strip is provided at its edges with inturned lips 0 0, adapted to enter the notches f g as shown in Figure 3,

whereby the strip and the links in a row of units are adapted for locking engagement without resorting to the use of separate fasteners.

In the fabri ration of the parts, the metal .con'iposing the elongated channeled member C is doubled or folded in such manner that the space between the lips 0 c is greater than the width of the end portions of links Bso that the strip may be said to be opened prior to the assemblage of said strip with the links, as a result of which the operation of assembling the strip relatively to the links is facilitated for the reason that the strip can easily he slipped lengthwise over the end portions of the links. The folded strip now occupies the position of Figure 2 relatively to the units of the marginal row and the links thereof, the inturned lips of said doubled strip being quite close to the surface of the units and in register with the notches in the links. The parts having been assembled, pressure is applied to the folded strip, the effect of which is tocoinpress the strip into the condition of Figure 8 so as to bring the surfaces of the strip into flush relation to the edges of the units and to force the lips of said strip into the notches of the links, whereby the strip and the link are locked into the required engagement.

The continuous strip at the margin of the fabric possesses marked utility by relieving the row of units from the wear due to traffic, thus precluding the units from crushing or breaking down and imparting a desirable finish to the floor covering. It will be noted that the terminal portions Z) of the links are encased within the U-shaped strip, and in contact with the inner surface of said strip, said links being spaced as indicated by dotted lines in Figure l. The links thus serve the function of stays within the channeled. strip, and stiffen the latter to preclude bending or buckling under the traffic, and

thus the links and the mar inal strip mutually stiffen each other and result in the production of a fabric characterized by simplicity of construction and economy of manufacture. I

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: e

1. A metal fabric embodying rows of units. links in fixed relation to the units of each row, the terminal portions of-said links at the marginal. row of units being extended beyond said units, and said extended terminal portions being notched rearwardly of the free ends thereof, and an elongated channeled member encasing said terminal portions of the links,-said member being compressed into locking engagement with said notched portions of the links.

2. A. metal fabric embodying rows of units. links in fixed relation to the units of each row, said links being notched, and a, member folded upon itself and provided with lips at the respective edges thereof, said hollow member being compressed on the lips thereof to occupy the notches of the links, whereby the hollow member and the links are locked together in fixed relation.

3. In a metal fabric, the con'rbination with units, and links attached to said units, of an elongated channeled member at the margin of the fabric, said member being locked to the links rearwardly of the free ends thereof and said hollow member encasing the terminal portions of said links, whereby said encased terminal portions of the links serve the function of stays in precludin the hollow members from bending or buckling under the traffic.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 15th day of November, 1921.

' SPENCER C. CARY. 

